this spring i made a vow to my fire escape that not only would i plant a garden on it, but that i would also tend to its needs and give it the kind of tlc i had deprived it of in years past. first, i got to researching what kinds of veggie plants do well with only a few hours of direct sunlight; what i found was that most herbs, beets, kale, bok choy and many others leafy greens do really well with the kind of light i knew my fire escape would get. so, this past may was the jump-off. i sowed my seeds indoors to ensure that they wouldn't get zapped by a frost, placed them on a windowsill that got direct sunlight in the mornings, watched their little sprouts grow, and when the end of may rolled around, transplanted them into outside containers. so far, we've had the pleasure of opening up our window to cut fresh basil, cilantro, parsley, and chives. we've just pulled the first of our beets and cut the first round of squash blossoms; and in a few days/weeks we'll (hopefully) have 2 varieties of squash, as well as jalepeno and cayenne peppers :)))

while i'm still waiting for the first squash to grow big enough to harvest, i've been buying them up at the market and using them for all sorts of things: eggie scrambles w/ black beans and tomatoes, spicy squash tacos, ratatouille, and this squash and banana-oat loaf. a few weeks back i received a copy of smitten with squash, by amanda paa of hearbeet kitchen, and was so relieved to find so much helpful information about how to tend to squash plants (both summer + winter!). not only was i educated, but also super inspired to use squash in so many different ways: spicy refrigerator pickles, chimichurri chicken & vegetable kabobs, garam masala–dusted pattypans and chickpeas with tahini sauce. it's been a while since i baked something, and was getting an itch to do so. when flipping threw amanda's book, my eye was immediately caught by her banana oat streusel summer squash muffins. but as i was preparing to take a trip, i wanted something that would travel better and decided to adapt her recipe into a loaf. the loaf turned out to be so incredibly delicious, with its flecks of squash, pockets of chopped nuts, a hint of spice, and a sweet + light streusel to top it all off. totally snack and travel-worthy!

and now for the giveaway! amanda's publishers were awesome enough to give me a second copy for a lucky reader! so, to enter, please leave a comment saying what your favorite kind of squash is, and how you like to prepare it. the contest ends monday, july 28th at 6pm and will only be open to US and Canadian residents. good luck everyone! xo

if you don't have to be gluten free you can substitute the flours below for you flour/s of choice save for the 1/2 cup of rolled oats.

| makes 1 loaf |

3/4 brown rice flour

1/2 cup (GF) old fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup oat flour

1/4 cup arrowroot powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 egg

1/2 cup coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)

4 tablespoons almond oil (or another light oil)

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup grated squash, grated using the course holes on a box grater

1 cup mashed, very ripe bananas (about 2-3 bananas depending on size)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (i used a combo of almonds + pecans)

streusel

3 tablespoons (GF) old-fashioned rolled oats

1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)

1 tablespoon brown rice flour (or flour of choice)

3 tablespoons finely chopped almonds

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

pinch of fine grain sea salt

instructions

preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan. cut a piece of parchment to line the pan with an overhang on each side

prepare streusel first. in a small bowl, combine streusel ingredients and set aside

in a large bow, whisk flours, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. set aside. in another large bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar until incorporated. whisk in oil and vanilla; then stir in squash and banana. gradually add dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until just combined and no lumps remain

evenly distribute batter throughout the loaf pan and sprinkle streusel on top

bake in the center of your oven for 45-50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. using the parchment overhangs, remove loaf from pan and transfer to a wire cooling rack. let the loaf cool completely before slicing (the loaf can be stored at room temp. covered with a piece of parchment for 3-4 days)